Which set of web accessibility standards or guidelines should I comply with?

Websites created or used by United States federal agencies are required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998, to meet sixteen Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards for web pages. These standards are intended to be minimum standards. Web accessibility is more comprehensively covered by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C®) in their Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which includes guidelines and checkpoints. Many states and educational entities have adopted one or both of these standards or guidelines and, in some cases, have developed their own standards or guidelines.

Check to see if your organization is covered by a law, policy, or set of web accessibility standards or guidelines. If not, determine which set of standards best meets your needs and the needs of your organization. Setting the bar as high as possible may reduce the likelihood that you will have to retrofit your site later in response to an individual's need for improved access.